‘To the woman in the trenches, still clawing gracefully at the sides – be proud, you are doing it.’: Woman pens appreciation letter on International Women’s Day

“To the woman who got up this morning, slammed back a green juice after her morning affirmations, curled her hair, and is about to rock the socks off her day-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who cried herself to sleep last night, because the cupboards are bare, the fridge is empty, and there are still three days until payday-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who is unsure where life is going, and more times than none, that fear keeps her awake at night, constantly searching for sleep and answers-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who is currently living out her dreams and takes a moment to look up at the skies, at least once, every day, thanking whoever is out there for getting her outta the trenches-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who is still there in the trenches. Still there clawing gracefully at the sides, looking for her way out through all the mess, confusion, and pain-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who wasn’t taught to be a strong woman, who is still kinda unsure what it means to be a strong woman, and who will sheepishly admit that she feels weaker than strong most days-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who is confident over her body and cherishes it as the temple that it is. Moving it. Loving it. Feeding it good food. Speaking good words over it-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who woke up this morning, and it was her ‘day one’ (for the fifty-second time since New Year’s Eve), and even though she cringes when she looks in the mirror, she won’t stop fighting for it. Ever-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who encourages other women. Who spends her days fixing the crowns of others, who listens to the pouring out of hearts, and who instills a sense of ‘DO NOT STOP’ into the heart, soul, and lives of other women-

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who has birthed babies. Fostered babies. Adopted babies. To the woman who is carrying a baby. To the woman who had to say goodbye to her baby. To the woman who’s still aching for a baby. To the woman who chose not to have a baby –

Be proud. You are doing it.

To the woman who has fought seas. Seas of heartache from loved ones passing. Loved ones leaving. Loved ones hitting. Loved ones screaming. Loved ones telling you that you could. not. do. it-

Be proud. You are doing it.

You are all doing it. Every single woman.

You see, there’s this special thing about a woman. Call it a quality, if you will. Or perhaps even a skill.

But women?

We rise.

Happy International Women’s Day to every woman out there.

No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, or what you have left to be done-

Be proud. You are doing it.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Heather Delaney of Love Always, Heather. You can follow her journey on Instagram. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.

Read more from Heather:

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